Now what you do? The way I see it, you’ve got only one choice: get back on track as quickly as possible! Here are four ways to get back on track with you weight loss plan after a long holiday week-end.
1) Ditch the guilt. So, despite your best intentions, you didn’t stick to your diet plan. You need to ditch any guilt you feel and stop beating yourself up about it. Feeling guilty about overindulging is wasted energy — spend that energy doing something productive instead.
2) Dump the extra food. If you’ve got extra food around the house from the holiday week-end, dump it. Why keep unhealthy, calorie-laden food around to tempt you? Better that the food goes in the garbage than on your hips or belly, right?
3) Review or reset your goals. Sometimes overindulging comes about because you either lost sight of your goals or have set your goals too high. A goal of “I’m never going to eat cookies again” may be too strict for you and cause you to overindulge, using a holiday week-end as an excuse to ditch your diet plan.
4) Eat your favorite healthy meal and do your favorite workout. You’re only one healthy meal and one workout away from getting back on track. If you need the extra incentive, why not cook your favorite healthy meal (for me, it’s salmon!) and do your favorite workout — and blast your favorite music while doing it.
If you overindulged over the long holiday week-end, chances are the “damage” is not as bad as you think. Use these tips to get back on track and you’ll be back to losing weight before you know it!
Rich food and overeating during the holiday season usually go hand-in-hand, and it can be a little tricky to start healthy eating habits after overdoing holiday cheer. Below are some tips to help you get back on track after holiday binging.
After over-eating candies, pies, cakes and rich foods, many people rationalize this by telling themselves that they will not eat for the next day or two. Come to find out, that doesn’t really help! Snacking on healthy things, may actually be the best way to combat post Thanksgiving weight gain.
Do: Eat small, frequent, protein packed foods
Don’t: Nibble on leftovers
Flushing your system and eliminating toxins is one of the best ways to get yourself back on track after the holidays. Drinking plenty of fluids not only helps to eliminate toxins but can also stop cravings in their tracks. Cravings only last anywhere from 4-12 minutes, by the time you are finished drinking a glass of water the craving may be gone!
Do: Decrease your intake of alcohol, as it can dehydrate the body and cause even more toxin buildup
Don’t: Drink excessive amounts of coffee, soda or non-herbal teas.
So you ate, you drank and now it’s time to work it off. If you find yourself on the way to the fridge call a friend to take a walk or run instead. Distracting yourself with exercise can help you shed some extra holiday pounds.
Do: Maintain a healthy stride while walking or running to burn more calories
Don’t: Punish yourself if you miss a workout, it’s not the end of the world. Instead, try to incorporate some activity into your day by parking a little further when running errands, or designating that day to do some cleaning up around the house. The key to shedding pounds is to increase overall activity throughout the day.
MEATLESS MONDAY OR ANYDAY RECIPE: Autumn Torte Rustica ( adapted from Taste of Homes )
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash (1-1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions
- Place squash slices on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly spritz with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine two eggs, cheeses and sage. In a small bowl, whisk the water and remaining egg; set aside.
- In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in the spinach, garlic and nutmeg. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; set aside.
- Unfold one pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 14-in. square. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to drape over the edges. Brush with reserved egg mixture.
- Layer with half of the squash, cheese mixture and spinach. Repeat layers. Roll out the remaining pastry into a 10-in. square; place over filling. Trim edges; fold the bottom pastry over the top and press edges to seal. Reroll pastry trimmings. Cut out with a small leaf cookie cutter; place on torte. Brush pastry with egg mixture.
- Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool for 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings. Prep time 40 minutes.
Tuesday Motivator: There's more to fit than fat.
Just because a food is branded as “low-fat” or “fat free” does not necessarily mean it’s a healthy choice. Check food labels to make sure fat hasn’t been replaced by unnecessary sugar, calories and artificial flavorings. When in doubt, opt for whole foods instead.
Seasonal Diet Tip:
Trim back the trimmings. Go all out and deck the halls with boughs of holly, glitter, and lights, but when it comes to holiday food, accessorize with care. To shave calories, go easy when adding nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter, and whipped cream -- additions that don't add much to the meal, but can add plenty to your waistline. Trim calories wherever you can so you leave the party feeling satisfied, but not stuffed, recommends Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RD, author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous.
Have a wonderful day and remember to send me your comments along with your favorite meatless recipe.
Keep moving with small steps and have fun!
Best in health always,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com
973-383-0955
" Your stomach shouldn't be a waistbasket." ~Author Unknown ~
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